420 Bay Area Event Guide

San Francisco is one of the best places to celebrate 420. Music venues across the Bay Area are hosting stoner-friendly acts in the days around the marijuana holiday, setting the mood for some stoney festivities, beyond the annual Hippie Hill gathering.

420 started in San Rafael thanks to five smoker friends who gathered after high school to smoke at 4:20pm. It became a code word to communicate that it was time to smoke. Today, smokers from around the world celebrate 4/20 with overstuffed blunts, packed bowls, filtered joints and tasty edibles.

Here’s our list of the best events and things to do on and around 420 in San Francisco:

-Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo, consisting of Richard 'Cheech' Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their stand-up routines, which were based upon the era's hippie, free love, and especially drug culture movements.

-Hempcon is a medical marijuana show catering to those who may be benefited from the medical use of marijuana. This will be one of the premiere events of the year with a huge amount of exhibits including medical marijuana dispensaries, collectives, care givers, evaluation services, legal services, educational institutes, equipment, accessories, and many more. Hempcon will be an educational event as well with a full weekend of seminars and presentations by industry leaders, advocates, and attorneys. Whether you are a patient or someone who wants to get educated more about medical marijuana, you have got to be there. Visitors be at least 18 to enter.

-America's Largest CANNABIS Industry, Health, Life Style, Culture & Music Expo Is Here! With Over 200 + Cannabis Related Companies On The Arena Floor with Their Products and Services Available From On Site MM Evaluations, State of the Art Grow Products, The Coolest Glass & Vapes, Seminars By Leading Cannabis Experts. The Prestigious Hempcon Cup Competition Award Ceremony Given to The Best Of Flower, Edibles, Concentrates & Extracts, Cbd, Vaporizer, Glass & New Product Of The Year & with the Legendary 420 Dj Performance Stage.

-Cloud Cult is an experimental chamber rock band from the Midwest who has maintained a decade and a half career by remaining completely independent. They've sold more than 100,000 albums via their own label, Earthology Records, which was created by lead singer/songwriter Craig Minowa in the late 90's out of what he called "necessity," due to the fact that there simply weren't options for environmentally friendly CD manufacturing in the industry at that time. Cloud Cult was at the forefront of the "green" movement, helping co-develop the now wildly popular recycled paperboard CD cases while also creating models for zero net greenhouse gas production for touring bands.

-Cypress Hill were notable for being the first Latino hip-hop superstars, but they became notorious for their endorsement of marijuana, which actually isn’t a trivial thing. Not only did the group campaign for its legalization, but their slow, rolling bass-and-drum loops pioneered a new, stoned funk that became extraordinary influential in ’90s hip-hop — it could be heard in everything from Dr. Dre’s G-funk to the chilly layers of English trip-hop. DJ Muggs crafted the sound, and B Real, with his pinched, nasal voice, was responsible for the rhetoric that made them famous. The pro-pot position became a little ridiculous over time, but there was no denying that the actual music had a strange, eerie power, particularly on the band’s first two albums. Although B Real remained an effective lyricist and Muggs’ musical skills did not diminish, the group’s third album, Temples of Boom, was perceived by many critics as self-parodic, and the group appeared to disintegrate shortly afterward, though Muggs and B Real regrouped toward the end of the ’90s to issue more material.

-Altered State: Marijuana in California: "We hope this exhibit encourages people to think critically about marijuana, the research available on it, and how it is presented in the media. Our goal is that this exhibition will help people have informed conversations with their families and friends about what type of marijuana policy is right for California." — Sarah Seiter, Associate Curator of Natural Sciences

-From Atlanta, Georgia, the origins of Deerhunter can be traced back to when frontman Bradford Cox first met guitarist Lockett Pundt at high school. Years later Bradford met Moses Archuleta and started jamming together. Other contributors to Deerhunter since its establishment in 2001 include Josh Fauver, Colin Mee and Whitney Petty. The current incarnation consists of Cox, Pundt and Archuleta plus bassist Josh Mckay and guitarist Frankie Broyles. (http://deerhuntermusic.com, https://www.facebook.com/deerhuntermusicgroup/)

-Join us for Closing Night of the 2016 Green Film Fest, April 14-20. World Premiere. Seven grassroots activists from around the world head to Paris for the UN Climate Talks, in this new film from San Francisco filmmaker Mark Decena. Their moving and personal journeys as activists has led them to this point and they want world leaders to feel the pressure. A deal was signed, but the question still remains: can the COP21 agreement stop catastrophic climate change and if not, then is it up to us?

-Doug Benson (“Last Comic Standing,” "Super High Me") has been on an album-a-year schedule since 2008 (his most recent release being "Promotional Tool"), plus he has several popular podcasts (including “Doug Loves Movies” and "Getting Doug With High"), does the occasional film (“The Greatest Movie Ever Rolled,” "Chronic-Con") and makes regular appearances on “@midnight” on Comedy Central. Such a busy schedule for High Times’ 2009 Stoner of the Year. Tuesday, April 19. Doors 10:15 PM / Show 10:30 PM. General Admission: $20.00

-International Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese, is set to bring audiences an opulent evening of fantasy and seduction in her critically acclaimed, “Burlesque: Strip, Strip Hooray!” which kicks off its 2016 run with six West Coast engagements for the first leg of the revamped tour.

-Rhye is the product of two synced paths crossing at the right time and place. The two artists who comprise Rhye had been fond of each other's work for some time, and it was when one member was working on a remix for the other that they started to collaborate. They had begun talking about the remix at hand, which led them to the conclusion that maybe they should adapt that remix into a whole new song that could be done together.

-Los Angeles producer Nosaj Thing crafts stately, ethereal, synth-based instrumental hip-hop, with influences that range from Boards of Canada and DJ Shadow to Danny Elfman and Erik Satie. An L.A. native, Thing was inspired at an early age by the hip-hop radio stations that the bus driver would play on his way to elementary school, and particularly by the Beat Junkies’ turntablism on Power 106. In high school, while delving into the sounds of drum’n’bass and the rave scene, and playing quad toms in the school drum line, he figured out how to use his father’s old PC to program beats of his own. Soon enough, Thing was motivated to move in more experimental directions by the D.I.Y. rock scene at L.A.’s underground venue The Smell, where he made his live debut in 2004. (http://www.nosajthing.com, https://www.facebook.com/nosajthing, https://twitter.com/nosajthing)

-Being Human: Earth's Tipping Point: Join Stanford University biologist Elizabeth Hadly for an evening exploring our impact on the planet and what we can do to ensure a bright future for all of Earth’s inhabitants!

-(((HOUSEPITALITY))) Bringing the house down from the rafters to the foundation by one of Detroit's, hands down most favorite all time dj ::DJ BONE:: (Subject, Detroit) ::TYREL WILLIAMS & MIGUEL SOLARI:: (Housepitality heads..) Rocking the lounge in celebration of his birthday: ::JIMMY B:: (Werd, Disco Knights, Green Gorilla, SF) We admit that we've waited too long to bring you DJ BONE who is one of Detroit's most indestructible techno/house dj institution. A true underground dj who has earned his respect thru years of fracturing beats into their elements and into the asses of the Detroit masses at afterhour parties since the mid 90's and he has never stopped. There was a time when he appeared on every flyer and it seemed like he played every party every weekend. He is a hard working man with a sense for dance floor timing like no other. It was just a matter of time until those ridiculous dj skills went noticed and Dj Bone began to tour all over the world on the most respected clubs and most critical ears who had him on their list of people to experience because his dj sets are a unique experience. He has also been busy releasing on various labels but definitely raises his flagship Subject label. Bone is a maestro and its not just about dazzling moves and shit.. its about bringing you a surreal experience of what it means to be a dj, a redefinition. Man,, we are proud to have him blast our bass bin cabinets on this night.. Myself and Tyrel Williams will be on hand to humbly sweep the floor as the openers and my man JIMMY B will be celebrating his birthday in the lounge as he enjoys a successful year playing overseas and manning the ship over for our brothers at, WERD while rocking with the Disco Knights and Green Gorilla Lounge.. Yo, another ass whopping Wednesday night coming your way, this time with a NEXT level artist, DJ BONE. Free champagne from 9pm-10pm. As always , free with RSVP before 10pm @ housepitalitysf.com. Or get a $5 presale ticket through resident advisor. See you there. WE GOT YOU!

-Annual NorCal gathering celebrating all things ganja. Every year people from all over the Bay Area flock to San Francisco's "Hippie Hill" in Golden Gate Park to join in on the festivities with like-minded individuals when the clock strikes 4:20pm on April 20th, 2016.

-Mushroom Jazz 25th Anniversary Monthly / Mark Farina & J Boogie. Modern day record minstrel, Mark Farina, has thrilled crowds globally, entertaining over 1 million fans per year. As one of the most ubiquitous DJs in Dance Music, Farina's known for both his unique style of mixing Jazz, Downtempo and House Music as well as being the creator of Mushroom Jazz: West Coast jazzy, organic productions combined with East Coast Hip-Hop, Urban beats.

-Caked Up, the DJ/producer duo comprised of Las Vegas natives Oscar Wylde and Vegas Banger, are no strangers to internet, musical and social media success. Over the past year, they’re raked in some of the highest streaming numbers in electronic music, the minute and a half long preview of “Thirsty” having over 1.8 million views of its own. Choosing well, the duo collaborated with Meaux Green, the rising trap/twerk lord who’s received support from the like of Doctor P, DJ Snake, Dillon Francis, Diplo, TWRK, Mayhem and Henry Fong to note but a few.

-BART Blue Sky Festival & Eco Carnival - 5,000 BART Ticket Giveaway. Join BART on Wednesday, April 20, 2016, for the sixth annual BART Blue Sky Festival. Join us from 11am to 1:30pm at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco for a lunch-time eco celebration. There will be environmental info and giveaways from more than 50 environmental exhibitors, plus valet bicycle parking, a Segway obstacle course and carnival games with an eco-twist. Get a BART Blue Sky Passport at the festival, fill it with stamps from six exhibitors and redeem it for a free $6 BART ticket. The first 5,000 people who turn in a completed passport will get a free $6 BART ticket right at the festival. Check back for an updated list of environmental partners attending the festival and discover how you can win a folding bike. This is an outdoor festival – rain cancels. RSVP on Facebook here. Also be sure to visit the Blue Sky Sweepstakes page for your chance to win an $100 Clipper card or a folding bike.

-High Brow Comedy Show: A social experiment. Comedy unhinged. Comedians are asked to inhale deeply and exhale the truth.* Comics won’t be informed of when they go on stage or how long their set is, only that they should be funny. High Brow host, Lydia Popovich keeps the night moving with motivational praise, topic prompts and sound effects from the sidelines.

-LDL presents 2MANYDJS: Holy Fucking Shit! Part 2 is a dream come true for us as both gentleman of Lights Down Low have a serious and personal connection to the music of the Brothers Dewaele. It is with great honor and distinction that we are able to present the musical masters 2manydjs under the smiley face of Lights Down Low and have them celebrate 10 Years Of Raving with all of you! Wether you’ve been raving for 1 year or 10 you know them thru their live act of Soulwax, their wild ass mix tapes, their incredible DJ sets,their remixes, or even the mind bending Documentary about them. 2manydjs have continually set the bar and shaped and molded dance music in their distinctive and blistering way. It’s going to be an amazing night and we cannot wait! We’ve got the homie Eug from Face party in the house and we are going to have some surprise visitors in the loft! It’s a full house of awesome music and excellent vibes.

-Are you ready to experience San Francisco’s first Gladiator-Style Guinness World Record 1000 Man Pie Fight? Join us and enter an all-out pie war battlefield while help raising awareness and funds for a new, local non-profit.

-Jokelandish is a premier stand-up comedy showcase in the heart of Downtown Oakland featuring the best comedians from the Bay Area and beyond. All yours for $Free.99.